"I want Nagas to be self sufficient; we have become lazy and want a good life without doing anything and this is leading to corruption, says the intrepid first Naga IPS lady officer" The idea of joining the Civil Service was embedded in her long time ago but she never once dreamt that she’d be in the Indian Police Service one day. Amongla Aier, the first Naga lady IPS Officer, has treaded upon the road where no Naga Woman ever did before. But setting out for a goal other than IPS, she confesses she had a tough time coming to terms with her being in the police department but still feels good to have done something different. It’s her hope that there will be many more among Naga women who will be in the IPS and also
expresses she’d like to see the first Naga woman to be commissioned in the Army, Navy, Air force” which she believes is just a matter of time.
Getting candid about her experience in the Police Service since she joined in 2006, she recalls it as a wonderful journey which she says has made her realized “nothing is impossible if you set your heart on it.” She has certainly proved this from coming out ‘stronger and confident from the training’, which she initially felt scared of and confesses she doubted if she’d make it, considering she was physically weak. When she got the MP cadre “learning Hindi from scratch was a task in itself’ she says. Yet she remarkably beat the odds by even starting to think in Hindi now as she puts it. From that little knowledge of being able to speak only simple Hindi and not read or write she expresses “one and half year down the line I can read, speak better and even write and am still learning.” With time, she has also developed the sense of boldness needed in the career she has chosen. From that phobia of seeing dead bodies, which she says would be in mind and disturb her for weeks together, she however gladly acclaims “I can’t afford to let my fears overcome me so I have become braver.” Taxiing it sure is to be a woman in a 24x7 Profession and yet she has pretty much managed to handle calls at odd hours, sometimes sleepless nights together and doesn’t mind patrolling through the night so that people sleep peacefully, even at the cost of seeing her friends enjoying a good weekend or a holiday just so that no incidents happen but ensuring that the public have a good time at her expense. Sometimes, she says “at the end of the day you ask yourself what is all this about?” but is quick to mention that there is some satisfaction still. And the little free time she gets, she engrosses in books or movies and when on leave she travels to places especially the mountains in Himalayas. “I am a wanderlust” she pronounces. Shifting to the craze for Civil Services that is evident from the number of Naga students taking up coaching classes, she comments “it’s not bad to have a dream and work towards it” but says “Civil service is a big gamble. I’d suggest aspirants to first have something to fall back upon if by any chance one does not make it. One should not go for coaching or waste your time sitting for civil services exam just because your friends are doing it or your parents want you to do it.” She emphasises that the conviction should come from inside and not just because there is some external pressure. “One should identify your key strengths and make some sacrifices” she continues and conveys “let me tell you, civil services may look so good from outside but when you get in you feel like- what I worked so hard for this? I mean you don’t get a choice of cadre, then initial few years you get posted in some remote small sub division or district and you don’t know anyone, all around you are strangers. Yes, economic swings don’t effect your source of income but every job has its plus and minus.” Also the woman of dreams that she is, Amongla does want to see the Naga Political problem resolved once and for all. To her, “the dream and hope of an independent Nagaland seems so far away and is becoming more elusive because of the infighting among the various factions. “It’s high time we reorient our priorities and do the right thing” she expresses. Secondly, she continues, “I want Nagas to be self sufficient; we have become lazy and want good life without doing anything and therefore leading to corruption. I’d not be shy to say that even the churches are corrupt, forget about the rest of the departments and ministries. We need to introspect on our beliefs and actions seriously. Religion has become a mere formality, a ritual where there is no spirituality about it anymore. We have a culture of belief system. Maybe a psychological state of acceptance that bribe receivers are wrong but givers are not and it’s a pan Indian phenomenon. I believe both the giver and receiver are equally guilty. Is corruption, extortion, cheating become a Naga way of life??? Think about it.” She wants to see Nagaland change in terms of good infrastructures-wide open roads, good communication, world class schools, colleges, technical and management institutions, medical colleges, best of medical care in the country, self sufficient in energy what about eco friendly energy system like wind and solar, food- ‘our agriculture and related system needs to be revamped’ she feels while putting across that we’ve to become exporters of horticulture items, flowers, medicinal herbs the list is endless but also wonders if anybody shares her dream. She also wishes to change ‘the holier than thou attitude of Nagas’ and says that our claim of a Christian state is so hollow. “We are a dry state with the highest number of alcoholics” she voices with concern and asks “how many Nagas die each year with alcohol related problem each year. Any count?” To this end, she also feels there is a lack of foresight of leaders who made the decision based on emotions and highlights the need to think about the economy where the rate of liquor is 2 to 3 times the actual price. Putting across that those available are adulterated thereby causing lots of health problems, she disappointedly adds that the “State government has no revenue all of which are going to the neighbouring states” and further comments that “our traditions never considered drinking bad so also the whites who came to convert us still drink.” “Something must have gone wrong with the interpretation here” she dishearteningly feels. Her concern also lies in the fact that “we have one of the highest drug users with equally high number of HIV cases in the country” and questions ‘where do we see change happening?? For good or bad?’ “I believe we can do better than this” she persists. Touching also on the unemployment problem, she is of the view that “we Nagas want a job in which there is nothing to do, sit at home and shamelessly take the salary.” Opportunities, she explains are many if one is willing. “How many coolies or vegetable vendors, manual workers, mason, sweepers etc you see on the road are Nagas?” she laments which she maintains is also “because we are lazy, others are coming and working for us and we say we don’t have jobs.” On the other hand, although she thinks setting up of large industries is also not viable because of the geographical conditions and terrain, she definitely vouches for service sectors that can be encouraged like tourism or even pubic private partnership, services like the back offices (BPOs) where she says “you don’t need huge investment and we have ample English speaking young people for that.” But most of all, she insists “to create space for growth and development, peace and security must exist” only after which, private entrepreneurs and investors will be willing to come and create job opportunities for us. This courageous young lady, all of 29, is from Sangratsü Village and though she feels that hers is a thankless job, one where she can’t please everyone because in her own words, she has to displease one party to do justice to another, she zealously believes in living one day at a time. Beneath the spirit of boldness, she is someone who thinks everyday is an event. “You live today and expect tomorrow will be better” she says and insists that it’s this hope that keeps her going. Serving as the Additional Superintendent of Police in Indore presently, she is due to become the SP by end of this year and although she pronounces that she may get posted in some godforsaken place by then, she’s got her hands full now, doing her job the best she can.
Getting candid about her experience in the Police Service since she joined in 2006, she recalls it as a wonderful journey which she says has made her realized “nothing is impossible if you set your heart on it.” She has certainly proved this from coming out ‘stronger and confident from the training’, which she initially felt scared of and confesses she doubted if she’d make it, considering she was physically weak. When she got the MP cadre “learning Hindi from scratch was a task in itself’ she says. Yet she remarkably beat the odds by even starting to think in Hindi now as she puts it. From that little knowledge of being able to speak only simple Hindi and not read or write she expresses “one and half year down the line I can read, speak better and even write and am still learning.” With time, she has also developed the sense of boldness needed in the career she has chosen. From that phobia of seeing dead bodies, which she says would be in mind and disturb her for weeks together, she however gladly acclaims “I can’t afford to let my fears overcome me so I have become braver.” Taxiing it sure is to be a woman in a 24x7 Profession and yet she has pretty much managed to handle calls at odd hours, sometimes sleepless nights together and doesn’t mind patrolling through the night so that people sleep peacefully, even at the cost of seeing her friends enjoying a good weekend or a holiday just so that no incidents happen but ensuring that the public have a good time at her expense. Sometimes, she says “at the end of the day you ask yourself what is all this about?” but is quick to mention that there is some satisfaction still. And the little free time she gets, she engrosses in books or movies and when on leave she travels to places especially the mountains in Himalayas. “I am a wanderlust” she pronounces. Shifting to the craze for Civil Services that is evident from the number of Naga students taking up coaching classes, she comments “it’s not bad to have a dream and work towards it” but says “Civil service is a big gamble. I’d suggest aspirants to first have something to fall back upon if by any chance one does not make it. One should not go for coaching or waste your time sitting for civil services exam just because your friends are doing it or your parents want you to do it.” She emphasises that the conviction should come from inside and not just because there is some external pressure. “One should identify your key strengths and make some sacrifices” she continues and conveys “let me tell you, civil services may look so good from outside but when you get in you feel like- what I worked so hard for this? I mean you don’t get a choice of cadre, then initial few years you get posted in some remote small sub division or district and you don’t know anyone, all around you are strangers. Yes, economic swings don’t effect your source of income but every job has its plus and minus.” Also the woman of dreams that she is, Amongla does want to see the Naga Political problem resolved once and for all. To her, “the dream and hope of an independent Nagaland seems so far away and is becoming more elusive because of the infighting among the various factions. “It’s high time we reorient our priorities and do the right thing” she expresses. Secondly, she continues, “I want Nagas to be self sufficient; we have become lazy and want good life without doing anything and therefore leading to corruption. I’d not be shy to say that even the churches are corrupt, forget about the rest of the departments and ministries. We need to introspect on our beliefs and actions seriously. Religion has become a mere formality, a ritual where there is no spirituality about it anymore. We have a culture of belief system. Maybe a psychological state of acceptance that bribe receivers are wrong but givers are not and it’s a pan Indian phenomenon. I believe both the giver and receiver are equally guilty. Is corruption, extortion, cheating become a Naga way of life??? Think about it.” She wants to see Nagaland change in terms of good infrastructures-wide open roads, good communication, world class schools, colleges, technical and management institutions, medical colleges, best of medical care in the country, self sufficient in energy what about eco friendly energy system like wind and solar, food- ‘our agriculture and related system needs to be revamped’ she feels while putting across that we’ve to become exporters of horticulture items, flowers, medicinal herbs the list is endless but also wonders if anybody shares her dream. She also wishes to change ‘the holier than thou attitude of Nagas’ and says that our claim of a Christian state is so hollow. “We are a dry state with the highest number of alcoholics” she voices with concern and asks “how many Nagas die each year with alcohol related problem each year. Any count?” To this end, she also feels there is a lack of foresight of leaders who made the decision based on emotions and highlights the need to think about the economy where the rate of liquor is 2 to 3 times the actual price. Putting across that those available are adulterated thereby causing lots of health problems, she disappointedly adds that the “State government has no revenue all of which are going to the neighbouring states” and further comments that “our traditions never considered drinking bad so also the whites who came to convert us still drink.” “Something must have gone wrong with the interpretation here” she dishearteningly feels. Her concern also lies in the fact that “we have one of the highest drug users with equally high number of HIV cases in the country” and questions ‘where do we see change happening?? For good or bad?’ “I believe we can do better than this” she persists. Touching also on the unemployment problem, she is of the view that “we Nagas want a job in which there is nothing to do, sit at home and shamelessly take the salary.” Opportunities, she explains are many if one is willing. “How many coolies or vegetable vendors, manual workers, mason, sweepers etc you see on the road are Nagas?” she laments which she maintains is also “because we are lazy, others are coming and working for us and we say we don’t have jobs.” On the other hand, although she thinks setting up of large industries is also not viable because of the geographical conditions and terrain, she definitely vouches for service sectors that can be encouraged like tourism or even pubic private partnership, services like the back offices (BPOs) where she says “you don’t need huge investment and we have ample English speaking young people for that.” But most of all, she insists “to create space for growth and development, peace and security must exist” only after which, private entrepreneurs and investors will be willing to come and create job opportunities for us. This courageous young lady, all of 29, is from Sangratsü Village and though she feels that hers is a thankless job, one where she can’t please everyone because in her own words, she has to displease one party to do justice to another, she zealously believes in living one day at a time. Beneath the spirit of boldness, she is someone who thinks everyday is an event. “You live today and expect tomorrow will be better” she says and insists that it’s this hope that keeps her going. Serving as the Additional Superintendent of Police in Indore presently, she is due to become the SP by end of this year and although she pronounces that she may get posted in some godforsaken place by then, she’s got her hands full now, doing her job the best she can.
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